34 replies to this topic

[PanelBasher]

Having been playing MWO for a few weeks I have seen a great deal of complaints on these forums regarding many things but one thing sticks out more than others and that is cost.

As a new player who has played a great deal of World of Tanks it seems to me as if the pricing here is considerably cheaper than WoT. Clearly the game developers have studied the pricing model for World of Tanks and set their prices accordingly, albeit cheaper.

What confuses me is that I rarely see complaints on the World of Tanks forums about gold pricing, or the price of premium tanks. The playerbase seems to accept those prices, but not here. I wonder why. My assumption is that the MWO playerbase consists mostly of older players who are accustomed to buying a game which gives them all the content unlocked and expect to be able to play online, funding all on-going developments as part of the initial purchase of the game.

Mech bays cost the same as garage slots in WoT and to my recollection I cannot remember reading a single forum thread of people complaining about that particular cost. Of course you'll find examples if you google for it, but generally the sentiment is that it is acceptable.

Now I know some will respond that World of Tanks is a terrible example of a pricing structure. I won't argue about that, but it is a wildly successful game. Of that there can be no arguments.

Anyway, I'm a bit baffled why older gamers with more disposable income are so against the pricing. Certainly things like colours and camo should be much cheaper, but this is a niche game.

Thank you for reading.

[Roadkill]

PanelBasher, on 09 January 2015 - 12:56 PM, said:

I'm a bit baffled why older gamers with more disposable income are so against the pricing.

I think you answered your own question.

PanelBasher, on 09 January 2015 - 12:56 PM, said:

this is a niche game.

Niche games need to draw in as many customers as possible. High prices tend to turn off people who aren't otherwise invested in the franchise.

[Flaming oblivion]

The prices are something I've never drew issue with this game.

That said I've never spent a dime I have the money and I would.

Fact is there is a complete lack of content its all rinse and repeat grind the same **** over and over there is literally nothing else to do other then play the same pvp battles again and again grinding.

On top of that the balance between weapon systems and mechs is still terrible and the matchmaker is worse, Couple these 2 things together in a game that has absolutely nothing else to offer.

Your going to struggle to attract players and keep them never mind get them to spend money.

And the ones who do stay will complain about prices.

Their charging prices higher then some fully developed games for a game that is in reality in beta buggy as hell full of flaws and needs years of work.

[Chemie]

mech bay price = fair
colors = med-high
camo = silly high (750 should unlock for all mechs)
mechs = crazy high

Yes, I think that you pay $60 for a game. Yes, they update and add but you are only now about equal to AAA release for MWO. I am OK\ for $60 per year. But $240 for mech paks? No thanks.

[MoonUnitBeta]

Chemie, on 09 January 2015 - 03:28 PM, said:

mech bay price = fair
colors = med-high
camo = silly high (750 should unlock for all mechs)
mechs = crazy high

Yes, I think that you pay $60 for a game. Yes, they update and add but you are only now about equal to AAA release for MWO. I am OK\ for $60 per year. But $240 for mech paks? No thanks.

Free to play can't be compared with boxed games that you pay once for. It's a total different model. And then things get more complex when you start talking about DLC... There's lots of arguements and discussions that exsist about this already so I'm leaving it at that.

Comparing MWO to WOT, it's still cheaper.
Regarding MC prices, Mechbays (the only thing that you really need) are the fairest priced item.
After that, you start paying a little more for novelty things like colours and camo's.
As for hero mechs and mechs in general, there are sales on every week that puts their prices into a very reasonable range.
Also, the bundles that PGI is putting out are good deals as well that are available 24/7, so any new player can easily jump into the game at a decent cost, and it sets them up to get a feel for what the game has to offer.

[Monkey Lover]

Really right now you can play.this game and be 100% competitive without spending 1 cent. After a year of playing I could see you collecting 30 mechs with the give a ways they been doing. If they wanted to increase prices 500% I wouldn't have a problem with it.

[Mr Beefy]

I think you hit the nail on the head with a Older generation that has been gaming for a very long time. I have some issues with the past that has clouded this game and its player base. I have some issues with IGP/PGI and how they have handled the start of this game and until this last year even to the present day. Things are getting a bit better now a days, but it doesn't excuse the past and what has taken place. I so want to support this game, and I have, like many. I so want this game to grow, and turn into more then just a FPS arena style BT game. There are some players that really feel that PGI has screwed the pooch and burnt all bridges with this player base that for the most part has been very loyal, and understanding, and continued to invest large amounts of money to further progress. Some players are so bitter they either moved on, or stayed and as much as they want a BT game, they want this one to fail big time. Its a love hate relationship, IMO.

As a 37 year old male that has spent most of my life since the day I was born around war gaming and gaming in general, I can honestly say that I have blown over $40,000 grand through out my life time on war gaming and gaming. My father introduced me to war gaming, and he has spent most likely 3 times that amount and still has thousands of dollars worth of historical mini's, and he has sold off a lot of things in the last 10 years. One of my biggest issues with this or any game when it comes to the prices PGI charges is that if the servers shut down for any reason... we have nothing to show for our money spent. This is a huge issue for me, and IMO, for others that are used to having something to show for their money spent. I have other reasons but this is a really big one for me. I am no stranger to spending unreal amounts of money on a game that I like. I am a avid Warhammer40K player and have been since age 8, and if I had to guess, no body charges crack prices like GW.

[Kirkland Langue]

PanelBasher. Do these couple things, FOR SCIENCE!

Reply to this thread with what mechs you currently own. In one month, Reply again to this thread with the mechs that you own at that time. And then one final time, after you have played in CW for a month, return to tell us which mechs you own and how your experience has been in CW.

At that point, I expect you'll have played for 6ish weeks and will have a full view of the new player experience.

EDIT - I'm presuming that you aren't going to spend any money on the game in that time. If you do then say how much you have spent at that time.

Edited by Kirkland Langue, 09 January 2015 - 04:21 PM.

[Lily from animove]

Roadkill, on 09 January 2015 - 01:50 PM, said:

I think you answered your own question.


Niche games need to draw in as many customers as possible. High prices tend to turn off people who aren't otherwise invested in the franchise.

wrong, niche games are niche and so will never have many customers. And thats why they have madicore prizes to ssutain their costs by the few nichefans they have.

[Roadkill]

Lily from animove, on 09 January 2015 - 04:20 PM, said:

wrong, niche games are niche and so will never have many customers. And thats why they have madicore prizes to ssutain their costs by the few nichefans they have.

"Niche F2P" is practically an oxymoron. F2P games rely on a large base of players who aren't playing in order to sustain the game as a game environment. They also rely on a small base of "whales" to subsidize development and maintenance.

What I said before is true. High prices drive away players, even if they play for free. The natural assumption is that an expensive in-game item is powerful, even if it really isn't, so games like this which price everything too high drive away even freeloaders. (Add in the constant P2W whining on the forums and you've got a double-whammy scaring away players.)

A non-niche game like WoT can get away with high prices because it has a massive player base to sustain the game environment, and enough whales to subsidize development and maintenance.

[Serpieri]

In other games buying a unit is around 5 dollars - and for the same price you get around 90 colors.

So why is creating a virtual item more expansive and cheaper for some?

[PurpleNinja]

If you look closely, people here complains just about everything.

[MarineTech]

We do not!!

Russ, I wanna complain about PurpleNinja.

Paul. Nerf him. He's ruining the game.

[PurpleNinja]

MarineTech, on 10 January 2015 - 04:05 PM, said:

We do not!!

Russ, I wanna complain about PurpleNinja.

Paul. Nerf him. He's ruining the game.

People who make use of double exclamation should be banned!!

[MarineTech]

PurpleNinja, on 10 January 2015 - 04:13 PM, said:

People who make use of double exclamation should be banned!!

Look, people who are intolerant of people that use double exclamation should be keel-hauled THEN banned.

[Burktross]

Chemie, on 09 January 2015 - 03:28 PM, said:

mech bay price = fair
colors = med-high
camo = silly high (750 should unlock for all mechs)
mechs = crazy high

Yes, I think that you pay $60 for a game. Yes, they update and add but you are only now about equal to AAA release for MWO. I am OK\ for $60 per year. But $240 for mech paks? No thanks.

qft

[PurpleNinja]

MarineTech, on 10 January 2015 - 04:16 PM, said:

Look, people who are intolerant of people that use double exclamation should be keel-hauled THEN banned.

People who take a nice and legitimate thread to troll should be locked inside a Locust.

About the topic, IMHO the pricing is fair enough.

[zagibu]

You have to remember that hero mechs include a 30% cbill bonus, which can basically save you 30% of your time grinding for the income to get other mechs.

[Black Arachne]

Chemie, on 09 January 2015 - 03:28 PM, said:

mech bay price = fair
colors = med-high
camo = silly high (750 should unlock for all mechs)
mechs = crazy high

Yes, I think that you pay $60 for a game. Yes, they update and add but you are only now about equal to AAA release for MWO. I am OK\ for $60 per year. But $240 for mech paks? No thanks.

Pretty much this - have yet to spend a dime on the game and will not until its fairly priced.

Edited by Black Arachne, 10 January 2015 - 04:43 PM.

[CocoaJin]

Roadkill, on 09 January 2015 - 01:50 PM, said:

Niche games need to draw in as many customers as possible.

That's an oxymoron...as a niche game, it is assumed the game lacks a mass appeal. It will draw in mainly those people who fall into the niche. People who try the game out will either like it or not...prices won't really secure the loyalty and longevity of these dabblers. No matter what, dabblers are in and out within 3-6wks...they are minor income and too few to worry about. But the niche players will stay because the game is compelling for them. They will either grind, pay or find some happy compromise in between.

So, as a niche game, the devs have to assume a relatively small player base that ideally will grow solely over time, with periodic spikes(such as a Steam release or a large content release). So the pricing had to be more or less in line with industry standards, adjusted for purchase rates of the core population.

Significantly under priced products, a relatively small niche customer base and limited content spells financial short falls for PGI. They'd run out prime customer purchases before they could make a sustainable profit.

Let PGI increase their content offerings, flesh out CW and other major development projects, and then seduce a large number of new players into the game from Steam...then expect some price adjustments in our favor. Until then, us niche customers...those of us who loves this game, will remain and continue to keep PGI a float with current prices and the occasional sale.